


The Leo Problem

by pipisafoat



Series: Abby Lyman [2]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Disability, Disabled Character, Gen, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 11:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12934806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pipisafoat/pseuds/pipisafoat
Summary: Leo sighs heavily and takes a moment to reply while Josh learns more about the shape of his hands than he’d ever noticed before. “Remember when I had Stanley come in to see you on Christmas Eve, what I told you that night?”Josh’s head jerks up in surprise at the subject change, but he can’t look Leo in the eye, not with the bruise. “The story of the man in the hole,” he finally replies.“Looks like your hole is deeper than we thought,” Leo says gently enough that Josh finds his eyes damp when he blinks. “No, I was referring to the other thing. That as long as I have this job, you have your job.”





	The Leo Problem

**Author's Note:**

> This picks up IMMEDIATELY after In The Shadow of Two Joshes; I highly recommend you read that first to understand this story.

Josh closes the door to his office behind himself gently so he doesn’t disrupt the conversation he can hear starting behind him. Leo’s standing right in front of him, blood cleaned from his face but some really nasty swelling and bruising there instead. “Can we do this in your office?” Josh asks, struggling to maintain eye contact with his boss. “I’ve got Donna on with Stanley in there.”

“That’s … the psychiatrist from ATVA?” Leo asks as he turns and starts walking toward his office in answer to Josh’s request.

“He thinks her point of view will help.”

“Good, then.” Silence falls over the pair as they wind their way through the West Wing to the Chief of Staff’s office. Josh wonders suddenly why his office is so far away, if he’s Leo’s deputy. Sam is Toby’s deputy, and he’s right next door. He’s managing to keep his head up and his face neutral on their walk, and he’s certain Leo’s doing the same, but he can’t stop his shoulders from creeping up toward his ears, his back stiffening until his stride is more of a jerky stalk, his arms freezing in place instead of swaying as he walks. He tries to turn his mind to which office he could have reasonably taken closer to Leo in case the thought will relax his body.

“Margaret, hold all calls until I’m done with Josh,” Leo instructs his assistant as he waves Josh in the large office.

He sits in one of the less comfortable chairs in front of Leo’s desk instead of taking any of his usual positions - standing along the wall or sitting on the best couch his rear end has ever had the pleasure of encountering. The chair doesn’t help with his anxiety, but he thinks it might help Leo deal with him as a problem employee instead of as the son of a deceased friend.

“Josh, what you did earlier is completely unacceptable,” Leo starts, and Josh flinches as the older man runs light fingers across the eye so swollen now it must be hard to see out of.

“I know,” he replies, wincing as his voice comes out in a croak. “I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. But that doesn’t change the fact that it happened. That I did it.”

“You’re right there. Nothing can change that.”

Josh bows his head and nods. “Is it better for the President if I’m fired or if I resign?”

Leo sighs heavily and takes a moment to reply while Josh learns more about the shape of his hands than he’d ever noticed before. “Remember when I had Stanley come in to see you on Christmas Eve, what I told you that night?”

Josh’s head jerks up in surprise at the subject change, but he can’t look Leo in the eye, not with the bruise. “The story of the man in the hole,” he finally replies.

“Looks like your hole is deeper than we thought,” Leo says gently enough that Josh finds his eyes damp when he blinks. “No, I was referring to the other thing. That as long as I have this job, you have your job.”

Josh shudders, terrified to hear the rest of Leo’s speech. That promise was made long before either of them knew how messed up Josh really is. That alone would invalidate it, but for some reason he’s going to put Josh through this, force him to hear this.

“Josh?”

He swallows hard and replies, “I remember.”

“You doing okay over there?”

“Sure.” Except for the part where you’re about to rip a piece of my heart out before shoving me out of the only job I’ve ever wanted.

Leo gives him a pointed look. “Your knuckles are white from clenching the arms of the chair, your face is red, and you’re breathing too fast. Did you know any of that?”

Josh checks in with his body, flushing when the process takes more than the couple seconds it might take someone else. He goes through his body in the order Leo mentioned, cringing when he finds the other man was right. He checks the rest of his body while he’s at it - back clenched so tight it hurts, thighs and buttocks so tense the chair feels like a cement block, toes curled in his shoes. “No, I didn’t know,” he answers, surprised when his voice breaks in the middle.

“That’s what I was afraid of.” The gentle voice is back, and it makes Josh shake his head to avoid it.

He clears his throat and, after a couple of false starts, finally tells Leo, “If you need to take back what you said then, I understand.”

“Take back … you having a job if I do?” Leo confirms. Josh nods, and Leo frowns at him. “No. But you need to find a way to control this. For now, I want you to take Donna to all of your meetings on the Hill. Open door for meetings in your office, or someone's in there with you. Understand?”

“I’m not fired?” Josh asks incredulously.

Leo smiles. “You’re not fired. Talk to Donna about her helping you temporarily, and keep trying to find a permanent solution. Okay?”

“Ah-kay.” Josh uncurls his fingers from the armrests and stands, feeling much of the other tension throughout his body reduce. “I really am sorry,” he says again, then he turns and heads out the door.

“Josh!” He turns around in the doorway to find Leo staring at a folder on his desk instead of making eye contact. “I forgive you."


End file.
